Sharon man held in Brockton attack

A 33-year-old Sharon man is accused of beating and raping a woman behind Cardinal Spellman High School in a brazen daylight attack, saying "he was going to kill her like the last one," police said.

James Ahern, 33, of Sharon, who told police he was disabled, was arraigned in Brockton District Court Friday on charges of rape by force, assault and battery and threats to murder.

The 250-pound man was arrested Thursday after Officer George Legrice examined surveillance camera images from outside the school that captured the suspect's car, a Chevrolet Citation, the day of the Aug. 26 attack, said Detective Sgt. Michael Dennehy.

"He searched our computer and was able to come up with a suspect vehicle. From there he found the owner of the vehicle who fit the description provided by the victim," Dennehy said.

The 36-year-old victim was shown an array of photos and picked the suspect, he said.
The woman, who has a prostitution arrest record, was raped in the woods behind the school and beaten so badly she was left with a fractured eye socket and cheek.

"At one point, he said he was gong to kill her like the last one," Dennehy said.

Dennehy said authorities believe the statements were used as a threat and there is no evidence at this point that anyone had been killed. However, the investigation is continuing.

The partially clad victim was able to flee the suspect and ran to Mildred Road where neighbors found her and called police, Dennehy said.

The attack does not at this time appear to be linked to at least four other attacks on prostitutes in recent years, Dennehy said.

In the earlier cases, DNA tests revealed the same man was responsible for attacks in Brockton and Avon but authorities have not yet been able to identify him yet.

Dennehy said finding who is responsible for the attacks on the prostitutes is important.

"They are violent people," he said.

According to the Prostitutes Education Network, one study found 60 percent of prostitutes are abused by clients. Another study found prostitutes are raped between eight and 10 times a year.

In the most recent attack, the woman told police she was picked up by a man at North Main and Haverhill Street, brought to the high school area and led down a nearby path.
Dennehy said the woman's pocketbook and clothing were found at the scene.

Maureen Boyle of The Enterprise (Brockton, Mass.) can be reached at mboyle@enterprisenews.com.